Tool for use in connection with knitting machines



March 24, 1931. R. J. PITCHERS ET AL 1,797,617

TOOL FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH KNITTING MACHINES Filed Aug. 4, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l Mam}! 1931. R. J. PITCHERS ET AL 1,797,617

TOOL FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH KNITTING MACHINES Filed Aug. 4, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 24, 1931 UNiTEiE TATS FAT ROBERT JAMES PITCHERS AND ARGE-IIBALI) REGINALD PITCHERS, OF GODALMING, ENGLAND TOOL FOR USE IN CONN'EOTIQN WITH KNITTING MACHINES Application filed. August 4, 1930, Serial No. (73,014, and in Great Britain March 1, 1929.

In knittin articles in cable pattern, it is necessary to transfer stitches from one set of needles or" a machine to another set.

According to the invention, there is provided a tool consisting of two relatively movable members each carrying as many groups of eyelets as there are patterns, the eyelets being adapted to receive stitches from the needles of the knitting machine so that the stitches can be transferred from one set of needles to another, and means for retaining stitches in the eyelets during the transferring operation.

lVith such a tool, all the needles can be engaged in one operation, and the stitches simultaneously transferred from the needles to the tool. The members can then be separated to enable the stitches on one memher to be placed on the needles selected therefor and the members then returned to their original position to enable the stitches on the other member to be placed on their selected needles.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a plan view of the device; Figures 2, 3 and 4, are sectional views taken respectively on the lines 11-11, IIIIIT and TVIV of Figure 1; Figures 5 and 6 are plan views of portions of the tool detached; Figures 7 and 8 are front and rear elevations of an eyelet employed; Figure 9 is a side elevation of the eyelet; Figure 10 is a section taken on the line X-X of Figure 7, and Figure 11 is a view similar to Figure 3, but showing the associated retaining finger in closed relation with the adjacent eyelet.

3 is a central rod having a tube 5 rotat ably mounted or journaled thereon. Handles 4 and 6 are provided on said rod 3 and tube 5, respectively. Along said tube 5 are groups of two eyelet holders A and B, respectively having rings or tubular portions 7 and 7 from which flanges or arms 8 and 8 extend. Spacing members 9, secured to the tube 5 by screws 10, separate the groups of eyelet holders and have radial flanges or lugs 11 used in selecting the needles to be used in making the pattern. Each holder A is rigid with tube 5 since screws 12 connect rings 7 thereto and each holder B is rigid with rod 3 since screws 13 fasten them together, the tube being slotted at 14 to accommodate said screws 13. Three stitchtransfer members or eyelets 2 are carried by each of the arms 8 while three eyelets 2 similar to those at 2, are carried by each of the arms 8. Said eyelets 2 and 2 are clamped to the respective arms 8 and 8 by clamp plates 15 and 15 and bolts 5 and Z). Thus it will be clear that the turning of handie lrotates rod 3, rings 7, arms 8 and eye lets 2 as a unit while turning of handle 6 rotates sleeve 5, rings 7 arms 8 and eyelets 2. These units, therefore, have relative rotational or rocking movement, which is permitted by the elongation of the slots 14 and which is limited by a lug 16 on the rod 3 coacting with a cut-away portion 1'? of the tube 5.

Directly over each eyelet 2 and engageable therewith as best shown in Figure 11, is a retaining finger 19. Thus three retaining fingers coact with the eyelets of each holder A. Said retaining fingers 19 are secured by clamp plates 23 and bolts 24; to top plates 25 of brackets 18. Said brackets have lugs 26 bolted at 27 to the arms 8 and hence are connected to rod 3. The plates 25 are offset longitudinally of the device and elevated with respect to lugs 26 by means of limbs 28 of the brackets. Accordingly, when the previously mentioned units are relatively rotated, the retaining fingers 19 will move with the rod 3 and handle l and thus coact with the eyelets 2, such fingers 19 moving to and from the positions shown in Figures 2 and 11.

In operation, when the stitches are to be transferred from the needles of the knitting machine to the tool constituting the present invention, all the radial flanges or arms 8 supporting the eyelets are moved into line with each other, to enable the stitches to be removed from the needles in av single operation. The flanges 8 of each group are then separated angularly by rotating the rod 3 and tube 5 relatively to one another, whereby every other group of stitches is clamped by the fingers 19. The stitches carried by the remaining eyelet groups are then placed on the needles of the knitting machine selected therefor, whereafter the tool is moved endwise until the retained stitches are opposite the needles of the knitting machine on to which they are to be placed.

The red and tube are then rotated relatively to one another in the opposite direction, and the remaining stitches placed on the needles selected therefor.

Referring now to Figures 7 to 10, the eyelet shown therein is formed with a troughshaped end 20 in the bottom of which is pierced the eye 21 equal to the length of the needle hook, the edges of the trough at the end of the eyelet being rounded, as indicated at 22.

What we claims is 1. In a tool for use in knitting machines, the combination of a central rod, a tube mounted on said rod to permit relative manually effected rotational movement between the rod and the tube, eyelet holders which are mounted on said tube carrying eyelets for receiving loops from needles of the knitting machine so that the loops can be transferred from one set of needles to another, every other holder being secured to the rod and the remaining holders being secured to the tube, distance members between holders to space them in groups and retaining fingers on one set of holders adapted during the transferring operation, to engage the eyelets carried by the other set of holders.

2. 111 a tool for use in knitting machines, the combination of a central rod, a tube mounted on said rod to permit relative manually eli'ected rotational movement between the rod and the tube, eyelet holders which are mounted on said tube and carrying eyelets for receiving loops from needles of the knit ting machine so that the loops can be transferred from one set of needles to another, every other holder being secured to the rod and the remaining holders being secured to the tube, distance members between holders to space them in groups, the distance members being provided with selecting abutments, and retaining fingers on one set of holders adapt-ed during the transferring operation to engage the eyelets carried by the other set of holders.

3. In atool for use in transferring the stitches in aknitting machine, the combination of two relatively movable members adapted for manual operation, holders on each of the members, stitch-transfer elements on each of the holders for receiving loops from needles of the knitting machine so that the loops can be transferred from one set of needles to another, and means additional to said elements and located on and operable through the movement of one member for retaining the stitches transferred by transfer elements on the other member.

4:. In a tool for use in transferring the stitches in a knitting machine, the combination of two relatively movable members, two adjacent coacting groups of transfer ele ments carried one by each of said members and adapted for receiving loops from needles of the knitting machine so that the loops can be transferred from one set of needles to another, and means carried on and movable by one of the members coacting with the group of transfer elements of the other member for etaining stitches in the eyelets during the transfer operation.

5. In a tool for use in transferring the stitches in a knitting machine, the combination of two telescoped relatively movable members provided with handles whereby the members are operated from opposite ends of the tool, two adjacent groups of transfer elemen-ts ear d one by each of said members and adapt-ed for receiving loops from needles of the knitting machine so that the loops can be transferred from one set of needles to another, a lholder for each group of transfer elements, a bracket on one of the holders, and stitch retaining means carried by the bracket and coacting with the eyelets of the other holder.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our invention we have signed our names this 24th day of July, 1930.

ROBERT JAMES FITCHERS. ARCHIBALD REGlNALD PITQHERS. 

